Malema: Land expropriation not a public opinion game

EFF leader Julius Malema has issued a stern warning to the United States to stay out of South Africa’s domestic affairs.

“We want to send a strong message to the US authorities, just like we did with the Australian authorities, to stay out of South Africa’s domestic affairs,” he said during the party’s press briefing in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Malema also warned people not to play the “public opinion game” in relation to the land question, saying the land debate was an emotive issue for many South African in which people’s dignity was at stake.

“Our people’s hope cannot be subjected to a contest…” Malema added.

POWER News political editor Hajra Omarjee, commenting on Malema’s stance on Trump’s tweet, says Malema said what many South Africans are thinking.

She quotes Malema as saying that should the EFF gain power in 2019, they will go after non-productive land owned by white people first, then go after productive agricultural land owned by white people.

Malema says they were more determined than ever in their call for expropriation of land without compensation after Trump’s tweets.

“We must put it on record that Donald, pathological liar, Trump, we are not scared of you and your USA.”

“There’s no white genocide here, there is a black genocide in the US, they are killing black people…” he says.

On the motion of no confidence in Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga, Omarjee noted that the EFF will support the motion.

Malema says they will not engage the ANC or DA on who should succeed Msimanga. He says they decide whether to support the candidate or not depending on who is nominated as mayor.